Gripper transfer device



y 29, 1951 R. M. GAMBLE 2,554,699

' GRIPPER TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1946, S-Sheets-Sheet 1 R. M.GAMBLE GRIPPER TRANSFER DEVICE May 29, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fi led Jan.26, 1946 May 29, 1951 R. M. GAMBLE GRIPPER TRANSFER DEVICE 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 26, 1946 SA {v V y 29, 1951 R. M. GAMBLE2,554,699

' GRIPPER TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 i %L IMay 29, 1951 R. M. GAMBLE GRIPPER TRANSFER DEVICE 6 She ets-Sheet 5Filed Jan. 26. 1946 6 Shgets-Sheet 6 R. M QGAMBLE GRIPPER TRANSFERDEVICE May 29, 1951 Filed Jan. 26, 1946 \SQQRQ \WRE HtQQ WNESQNK o viva.

Patented May 29, 1951 PATENT OFFICE 2,554,699 qmlg'rnn TRANSFER DEVICERa ph M- Gamble S r ngfield, vt, s i nor o Jones 8; I a nson MachineCompany, Springfield, Vt a corporation of Vermont Application January26, 1946, Serial No. 643,617

z q ims- 1 This invention relates to a gripper transfer device 'andmeansfor presenting successive-work pieces thereto. The mechanism ismore particu: larly designed to handle ring-shaped or discshaped workpieces such, for example, as a ball bearing'race. Such mechanism isdescribedand shown asmounted on and used in connection with an automaticlathe capable of operating on the work; pieces which are thus suppliedand transferred. f'

For a more complete understanding of the in-. ventiomreference may behad to the following description thereof and to the drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an auto: maticlathe embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 21-2 of Figure 1, includingalso a supply hopper for a second lathe;

Figure 2a is'a fragmentary transverse sectional view} of the lathe,showing the carriage;

Figure 3 is asection on the line 33 of'Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentaryvfront elevational view of a portion of theautomatic lathe shown, in Figural Figure 5 is a plan view, partly insection on'the line ii- 5, of the portion of the apparatus shown inEigure 4;

( Cl. lik -166) 1 42 which carries an ejector head IIO to push workpieces out of the chuck. Thelatter also drums 30, 3I, and 32.

has a center bar 26, a back bar 28 and cam A tool carriage 33 with toolsis mounted on the center bar 26 and con-.

trolledby a cam 34. Another tool 36 is mounts ed on an arm 3! carried bythe back bar 28.

This tool is controlled by a cam 40.

When a work piece is transferred to a loading position in line with theaxis of the spindle, a

pusher head is operated to push: it to the chuck; The pusher head ismounted on an arm 52 which extends radially from a shaft 54;

Rocking movement of the shaft 54 is: controlled by acam 68 actingthrough a rack and pinion Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view onthe I 1ine 6- -j6 of Figure 3, showing-the parts of the r spindle headand chuck;

Figure 7 is a section on the. line 1-! of Figurefi;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 87-0 of Figure 2 a Q Figure 9l-is asection on the line 9- -,-9 of Figur -B;

Figure 10 is a section on the line I0- V-I0 of Figure 2;

Figure 11 is a section on the line II-II of Figure 10;

Figure, 12 is a fragmentary elevational view, ona larger scale, of thestructure of the supply station shown in Figure. 2.;

Figure 13 is a section on the line I 3.'-I3. of'

Fi ur 2.;

Fi ure 14 i a ime hart'showing a cycle of perat on Qf'the mechan sms.which act on the work:

F gur s a p ane ve qpme t oisome of th am nth am. dr s.

A st nger tra sfe m chan mbo yin -the n n ion s hq u in i ures 1 nd 2on. n automat c. a h o he F y type wh ch has'a headstea s: li tering a.spind e .4- v tha chuck theredevice 60, 62 as shown in Figure 3. Axialmovement of the shaft 54 is controlled by cams I4, 16 through a levershown in Figures 1, 4, and 5,

Mechanism for feeding work pieces to and from the loading position isillustrated in Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9. As therein shown, a carrier headI20 having a pair of fingers I22 projecting therefrom is provided totransferwork pieces from a supply station I24 to the loading station inline with the chuck. A second carrier head I26 having fingers I28 isprovided for the transfer of work pieces from the loading station to adelivery station I30. The carrier fingers I22 and I28 are similar inshape, each comprising a strip of resilient metal having an arcuateportion with a curvature to fit a part of the circumference of a workpiece and a straight shank portion to give resilience to the finger sothat the fingers of each pair can spring away from each other to admit awork piece between the ends thereof. Between the fingers I22 is anadjustable abutment element I32 which bears against the circumference ofa work piece between the fingers so as to prevent the piece from beingpushed too far in. In like manner, an abutment element I34 is mounted onthe carrier head I26 between the fingers I28. The carrier head I20 ismounted at the end of a ,rod I36 which slides through a pivot block I38.This pivot block is rockably mounted on a second coaxial pivot block I40 through which slides a rod I02. On the end of this rod is; mountedthe carrier head I26, The pivot blocks I38 and I40 are independentlyr0ckable and are mounted on a bracket I43 on the headstock 22, the pivotblock I40 having an extension through the block I38 to holdthelatassembled relation therewith. The cartier eads. [20' a d. aremoved. al ng predetermined arcuate paths by rock arms I46 and I48,respectively, to which they are pivotally attached. The rock arm M6rocks about an axis I50 together with a short lever arm I52; The rockarm I48 rocks about an axis I54 together with a short lever arm I56. Theends of the arms I52 and I56 are connected by a rod I58 so that all fourarms rock simultaneously. A fifth arm I60 rocks about the axis I54 withthe arms I48 and I56. The arm I66 is connected by a rod I62 to a bellcrank I6 (Figure 1), the otherend of the bell crank being connected to acarrier I66 which travels on a fixed rod I68 and is actuated by cams(Figure on the cam drum 3|.

The carrier head I2!) is swung by the arm I46 supported on an arm 203 bywhich its elevation --can be adjusted. The front wall I=80 is cut awaybeyond the platform I86 so that when a work piece moves from theplatform to the floor 200 and hits the pin 202, it falls away from therear wall 582, trips on an upstanding flange 204, and,

to present its fingers I22 at the supply station I24. At this station isa hopper comprising a pair of parallel plates I69 spaced apart toreceivering-shaped or disc-shaped work pieces :flatwise so as to holdthe work pieces therein in a common plane as indicated in Figure 2.Between the two walls are guide members by which the work pieces arepresented one after the other to a point where they can be engaged bycarrier fin gers I22. This position is determined by a guide block I16and guide members N2,

the front wall of the hopper by bolts and nuts or other suitable means,these bolts passing through slots in the wall'whe'reby suitableadjustments of the position of each guide member can be made for thepurpose of accommodating work pieces of different diameters. The wallsof the hopper are also preferably adjustable from or toward each otherto accommodate work pieces of different thicknesses. The neutral or idleposition of the carrier heads I26 and I26 is illustrated in Figure 2. Atsuitable times in the cycle of operation of the lathe'the carrier headsare moved from this position to a position in which the fingers I22 areupon the circumference of the nearest work piece at the'supply stationI24 and the space between the fingers I23 of the carrier head I26 is inline with the work piece held by the chuck. When this work piece hasbeen re leased from the chuck, the ejector rod ejects the work pieceaxially into the space between the fingers I28. The carrier headsare'then swung through their paths of motion by the respective arms I46and I46 so that the work piece which has been seized at the supplystation is moved into the loading station in line with the chuck and thework piece which has been-received at the loading station from the chuckis transferred to the delivery station I36. The structure at thisstation preferably comprises two parallel walls I80 and I82 as shown inFigure 1. These walls are held in spaced relation by a number of boltsI84 with nuts which can be adjusted to vary the space between the wallsso as to accommodate work pieces of different thicknesses. An adjustableplatform member N36 is bolted to the front wall I86 to support workpieces delivered by the carrier head I26, the platform beinglongitudinally inclined to the final portionof the path taken" by a workpiece when it is delivered to the station I30. As each work piece ispushed up on the platform I86 by the carrier head, it is caught andretained against retraction bya latch mem ber I96 which is rockablymounted on a, bracket E92 secured to the wall 226. This latch member hasa shoulder Hit which projects into the central space of a ring-shapedwork piece thrust into the position indicated in Figure 10. The

M4, and I16. These guide members are preferably secured to? asindicated, tumbles into a trough 266 which is below and laterally offsetfrom the floor 200.

From the flange 7204 a curved guiding apron 208 extends down to thetrough 206 to guide work pieces falling from the hopper into'the trough.The width of the trough is adjustable as indicated in Figure 11 toaccommodate work pieces of different thicknesses. The trough 266 slopesdownwardly. to a supply hopper 2H3 which is in a position to cooperatewith transfer mechanism for a secondautomatic lathe, such transfermechanism being preferably similar to that hereinbefore described inconnection. with the lathe shown in Figure 1. This hopper is preferablyconstructed in a manner similar to the construction of the supply hopperat the station I24, including two parallel walls which are adjustabletoward or from each other to accommodate work pieces of differentthicknesses, and guide members adjustably bolted to the front wall ofthe hopper to accommodate work pieces of different operations, when therotation of the spindle is,

stopped for the removal of the work piece therefrom; The former cams andthe carriage are returned to their inactive positions, thus moving thetools away from the work and retracting the pusher head. The transfercarriers are thereupon moved from their idle intermediate positions, onecarrier going to the loading station to get the work piece which hasbeen tooled, the other carrier going to the supply station to grab afresh work piece, and theipusher head is rocked up into line with thespindle axis. Then. the ejector rod is actuated to open the chuck and topush the work piece from the chuck to the wait'-.

ing fingers of the transferearrier, the pusher head actin as alimit-stop. The transfer carrier simultaneously remove the tooled workpiece from the loading station to the delivery hopper and bring thefresh work piece from the supply station to the loading station. Thepusher head, which is in its elevated position in line with'the spindle,is moved by its cam to push the work piece into the chuck, the ejectorrod being retracted to close the chuck. The pusher is retracted from thework and its head is then swung down to its lower position whilethecarriers return to their idle position. The carriage moves intooperating position, pushing the pusher ahead of it. The back arm isrocked to bring its tool to the work. Then the former cams are caused totravel to move the tools into cutting engagement with the work. At theconclusion of the cutting or forming operation, the formers and carriageare.

retracted and the cycle is repeated.

Figure 15 is a plane development of the cam drums showin an arrangementof cams there on designed to bring about the foregoing cycle ofoperations. The cam followers, which are indicated as dotted circles,can be thought of as having an upward relative motion in this figure.Thus, the cycle of operations indicated in Figure 14 begins when the camfollowers have travelled upward on the cam diagram in Figure 15 aboutone-fourth of the way to the top. It is evident from the arrangement ofthe cams that the carriage returns to its inactive position (therebyretracting the pusher shaft) before the pusher is rocked by the cam 68to swing the pusher head into line with the spindle, and that the pusherhead is swung out of line before the carriage moves ahead again. It isin this interval while the pusher head is in line with the spindle thatthe pusher is advanced by the cam 16 and allowed to be pushed back bythe spring 90 when the cam 14 acts on the lever 80.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for supplying ring-shaped work-pieces to an automaticmachine including a supply hopper, an inclined channel leading to saidhopper, and a pair of claws operable to seize successive work-pieces atsaid hopper, means for restraining a line of work-pieces in said channeland presenting them successively to said claws, said means consisting ofan adjustably fixed stop element opposite the lower end of said channeland spaced therefrom a distance slightly more thanthe diameter of awork-piece, and a support element adjustably fixed to extend beyondNumber said end of the channel and offset below said end by a distanceapproximately equal to the diameter of a work-piece.

2. In a mechanism for supplying ring-shaped work-pieces to an automaticmachine including a pair of jaws operable to seize and transfer aWork-piece, means for presenting work-pieces one by one to said jaws,said means comprising a pair of plates in vertical parallel planesspaced slightly more than the axial dimension of a work-piece, aninclined rail terminating at its lower end between said plates, a stopelement adjustably fixed opposite said rail end and spaced therefrom adistance slightly more than the diameter of a work-piece, and anL-shaped support element for a work-piece adjustably fixed between saidplates below and beyond said lower end of the rail.

RALPH M. GAMBLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 323,180 Mason July 28, 1885799,962 Ayars Sept. 19, 1905 1,069,319 Cole Aug. 5, 1913 1,444,929McEwan Feb. 13, 1923 1,471,032 Johnson Oct. 16, 1923 1,734,868 MilneNov. 5, 1929 1,765,825 Cork June 24, 1930 1,841,988 Smith Jan. 19, 19321,947,610 McNamara Feb. 20, 1934 2,112,119 Rowe Mar. 22, 1938 2,198,976Rober Apr. 30, 1940 2,238,328 Johnson Apr. 15, 1941 2,344,461 I-IermaniMar. 14, 1944 2,359,939 Reynolds Oct. 10, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS CountryDate 517,821 Germany Feb. 12, 1931

